Friday of the Second Week of Lent
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes”
Jesus refers to this passage from Psalm 118 in today’s Gospel after sharing the parable of the farmer whose servants and son are all killed by the greedy tenants of his vineyard. When Jesus asks the chief priests and Pharisees if they have ever heard this Scripture, they understand the connection between the parable and their lived experience. Perhaps it is easy enough for us, living over two thousand years later, to see the truth of this psalm throughout scripture. In today’s first reading, we hear about Joseph, rejected by his brothers and sold to the Ishmaelites. Although we don’t hear the whole story today, we know how it ends, with Joseph, the rejected stone, becoming a cornerstone to save Egypt during a famine. We know the parable that Jesus shares in today’s Gospel actually refers to him, the son of God, rejected and crucified, the cornerstone of our salvation.
A friend recently gave me a prayer book filled with prayers “for my daughter.” One of my favorites so far says, “As a daughter, may unconditional love be the foundation upon which she stands. May she always feel supported and embraced by her family. May our belief in and delight of her be the most fundamental truths she knows… I pray that my love could be the bedrock of my daughter’s life, on which she builds an identity and experience of her own.” This is the type of cornerstone I hope to create for my daughters (and all of our kids) and all those with whom we interact. A foundation of unconditional love and affirmation, like God provides for each one of us.
How do we fit in? Do we see the truth of Psalm 118 in our lived experiences today? When have you experienced rejection? When did you experience unconditional love and affirmation? What did these feel like and how did you respond? When have you rejected someone else? Why? Who in our world today is being rejected?
In 2018, Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II of the Poor People’s Campaign delivered a sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, which is now published in a short little book, We Are Called to Be a Movement. In it, he quotes Psalm 118 and says, “The rejected must lead the revival for love and justice” and “rejected stones make the best cornerstones.” He makes the case that in our country today, “the politics of rejection and policy violence against the poor are still far too real.”
There are countless rejected stones in our world today; people who are rejected because of their poverty, religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, country of origin, immigration status, and any number of other factors. As we continue our Lenten journeys, let us take some time to consider how we stand in solidarity with the rejected and how we might build foundations and cornerstones out of love, instead of rejection. Let us get to work in God’s vineyard, become more aware of the ones in our midst most in need and put our time, talent, and treasure into production.
Peace,
LeeAnn Meyer